The Influence of Mindset: In What Ways Can Think Transform Your Reality
There are millions of people today going through many ranges of success. Let’s consider a few of those who have been extremely successful, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, APJ Abdul Kalam, Steve Jobs, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jordan, Henry Ford, Richard Bandera, the list could go on. In what way did they think? What is mindset? What was the reason for high achievement? What might have been necessary? Thinking plays a very important role in our life experiences and outcomes.
Let me illustrate that with a story about researchers in Italy who examined how powerful we can believe. It is commonly known as mindset and this too likely has a lot to do with your health, well-being, and the success in your life, and it encompasses everything from how we experience pain, and it may even motivate you to exert your maximum effort in exercise. How to change your mindset to be successful?
The Placebo Effect: More Than Just a Sugar Pill
Dr. Fabrizio Benedetti and his team conducted a fascinating study involving patients undergoing thoracic surgery. This invasive procedure often involves significant pain once the anesthesia wears off. Typically, patients receive morphine to manage that pain. However, Benedetto’s research divided these patients into two groups. One group received the morphine directly from a doctor, while the other had it administered through a pre-programmed pump.
Surprisingly, those who received the morphine from a doctor reported less pain than those who didn’t know they were receiving the same treatment. This study illustrates a profound truth: the placebo effect isn’t just about fake treatments. Instead, it’s a powerful testament to how our expectations can influence healing.
Mindset and Physical Activity:
Exercise Reimagined Another fascinating study included hotel housekeepers working in the United States. Yes, these individuals expend a ton of energy every day, burning hundreds of calories, but most did not think of their daily chores as exercise. Two-thirds of them said they did not participate in any exercise at all. The researchers decided to try to shift this mindset by simply giving an informative talk for 15 minutes to the housekeepers about how the housekeepers’ work meets the Surgeon General’s guidelines for exercise. After four weeks, the outcomes were astounding.
Not only did the people who were presented with the educational piece shed weight, their blood pressure and body fat decreased, and their job satisfaction increased. Here is the important takeaway: it was their beliefs, not merely their behaviors, that were correlated with the changes!
The Milkshake Experiment:
How the Mind Affects Metabolism, Researchers at Yale conducted another fascinating experiment examining the mind’s influence on metabolism by offering participants two different milkshakes to taste, each intended to have a different number of calories. One shake was labeled as “healthy,” while the other shake sold itself to eat to de-stress or indulge. The interesting aspect of this study is that since both milkshakes were actually the same, the idea of eating one shake to de-stress led to a larger decrease in a hormone called Ghrelin.
Ghrelin is one of the hormones responsible for signaling hunger in the human body. This study demonstrates that what we believe we eat can influence what happens in our body. Most importantly, it reinforces to the consumer that their mindset around food is critical to the way they will digest it.
Stress and Mindset:
Changing the Story Often, stress has a negative connotation. Typically, stress is viewed as bad, but this is a narrow view to take. A study conducted shortly after the 2008 financial crisis asked researchers to show employees a short video to debunk myths about stress. One video specifically focused on the positive side of stress. After watching the video, study participants reported fewer health symptoms, as well as increased workplace engagement. This proves that stress can be more than a burden, rather it can contribute to performance and health based on how we frame stress in our minds.
read-rules for focused success in a distracted world
Broadening our Evidence Base on Mindset:
Future Research and Higher Impact More studies have shown that mindsets matter. Carol Dweck’s research shows that people who consider intelligence a quality fixed at birth have fewer objectives for success, than those who try to leverage their brain power to learn more and improve. Becca Levy’s research shows that those with positive mindsets about aging have better health and longevity than others. Ted Kaptchuk’s research looks into whether it can be ethically used as a treatment in the clinical setting. Each of the types of studies, mentioned above, tell us a very important thing: Mindsets matter.
Scientific Discovery of Heart Neurons
- In 1991, scientific journals published groundbreaking research revealing specialized cells in the human heart called sensory neuritis, numbering around 40,000.
- These sensory neuritis function similarly to brain cells but are located in the heart, forming a neural network that operates independently of the brain.
- This discovery suggests that the heart has its own capacity to think, feel, remember, and respond, which is distinct from the brain’s functions.
The Importance of Feeling Over Thinking
- a personal journey over the past seven to eight years focused on transitioning from thinking to feeling in response to experiences.
- This shift involves prioritizing bodily sensations and emotional responses over cognitive evaluations, which often lead to fear.
- expresses a desire to explore this topic further, especially in light of current events.
Conclusion
To sum up, we influence our physical health, mental health, and overall quality of life through our mindsets. Studies indicate that we can purposefully modify our mindsets to create better lives. So to get started, take a minute and consider your mindsets around your thinking today. What beliefs or mindsets can you identify that are contributing to your health, stress, resilience, and personal growth? By nurturing the mindsets that serve you, you can begin to change your experiences in and outcomes of life. Gain awareness of how a positive and resilient mindset enables you to take charge of your thinking.